Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) Program Officer at Mercy Corps

The Program

Girls Improving Resilience through Livelihoods and Health (GIRL-H) is a three-year multi-country program implemented in Kenya northern frontier counties of Turkana, Marsabit, Isiolo, Wajir, Garissa and Marsabit.  GIRL-H program seeks to improve girls’ well-being by increasing their access to and uptake of life skills, health information, basic numeracy and literacy, and financial literacy, as well as foster pathways to formal education, economic opportunities, and civic engagement. GIRL-H also seeks to build an enabling environment through 1) educating communities to transform gender and social norms so that girls are valued and access their basic human rights; 2) working with the public and private sectors to foster opportunities for education, safe livelihoods and financial inclusion; and 3) collaborating with local community-based organizations and government to scale the GIRL-H model.

The Position

The SRH Program Officer will provide technical support to the successful implementation of the SRH component within the GIRL-H program in Kenya. S/he will lead the development, planning, implementation and coordination of SRH activities ensuring quality outputs and timely completion of project deliverables. SRH program Officer will train staff and partners, providing them with technical assistance; and ensuring that common strategies and approaches are applied consistently in all communities. S/he will coordinate closely with the M&E team to ensure that systems are in place to track, analyze and report SRH related results. S/he will work closely with local partner who will be collaborating in scaling up of the SRH component within the Kenya Program

Essential Responsibilities

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT.

• Facilitate and oversee the planning, implementation and coordination of all SRH activities
• Lead the GIRL-H Partner organization work planning for sensitization and awareness raising activities
• Provide technical support to the project targets on gender, sexual and reproductive health including, early pregnancy, Family planning, menstruation, and personal hygiene,
• Supervise and provide technical guidance on the implementation of SRH and community awareness raising activities in a bid to assure quality
• Assist in the creation and contextualization of technical curriculum on reproductive health
• Contribute to team work plans and guide successful implementation of GIRL H and Learning activities, ensuring teams follow work plans so activities are on time, target and within the approved budget, and program deliverables achieve desired impact;
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate. Certify all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards;
• Conduct training for Community Facilitators and GIRL group mentors on the SRH.
• Engage community members (community representatives, teachers, religious leaders, government officials and gatekeepers) to form an Advisory Committee to support and inform program activities;

COMMUNITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT

• Conduct community mobilization and sensitization meetings at village level
• Identify and engage community leaders to sensitize on the GIRL model and establish buy-in
• Link with relevant county government departments such as Gender and Social Services for group registrations, financial and material support.

BENEFICIARY SELECTION

• Sensitize adolescent girls on the GIRL model, objective and target groups
• Participate in identification and recruitment of Girl group mentors to deliver technical curricula to girls, boys and youth;
• Identify and recruit adolescents and youth in the community to participate in safe space groups;

PARTNERSHIP.

• Facilitate planning meetings and workshops with government, NGO, private sector, and community partners to revise plans and promote partner acceptance/buy-in;
• Link with MOH on delivery of SRH and ensure that youth and adolescents can access SRH services

PROGRAM MONITORING.

• Monitor and track the progress of safe space groups;
• Play a key role in the development of intervention designs, sector strategies and M&E frameworks.
• Support the development of customized monitoring and evaluation tool
• Collect monitoring data from GIRL groups and submit to management
• Support assessments, evaluations and monitoring surveys relevant to GIRL component including support in the development of Scopes of Work, survey tools, trainings and management of data collectors, report writing and facilitating results discussion
• In coordination with the MEL team, monitor the implementation of activities through regular field visits and assessments to ensure program quality and impact.
• Support GIRL H program manager in the preparation of the weekly, monthly and quarterly reports
• Document approaches, successes and lessons learned;

COORDINATION

• Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, finance, administration and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support field activities;
• Support operations team to facilitate procurement of goods and services related to the SRH component intervention

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Participate in recruitment, orientation and training of Community Facilitators  
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-one and performance reviews;
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission;
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility

Community Facilitator and GIRL mentors

Accountability

Reports Directly To: GIRL H Program manager.

Works Directly With:, Research Director, MEL officer, GIRL H PMU manager, GIRL Program Director and GIRL H team

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor degree in Public Health, Health Officer, Health Promotion or Social sciences
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience working with NGOs/CBO’s on gender and sexual and reproductive health aspects in Kenya
• Project Monitoring and Evaluation experience is desired
• Demonstrated ability to network and work in collaboration with governments, NGOs, CSOs and other relevant stakeholders.
• Proven ability to build and manage relationships with local authorities, local partners(CBOs/NGOs) peer organizations and other community based structures
• Should have knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection and reporting techniques
• Commitment to working with Women, Girls, youth and vulnerable groups in need, regardless of race, tribe, religion or gender;
• Good problem solving, written and oral communication skills;
• Strong written and spoken English and Swahili;
• Local language skills required;
• Ability to work without constant supervision and as part of a mixed team;
• Good knowledge of MS Office software such as Excel, Word, and Access

Success Factors

The SRH Program Officer will combine exceptional project management skills and capacity to manage relationships with different stakeholders including the greater GIRL H team. The position requires an ability to think creatively about improving SRH opportunities young people and adolescent girls and boys. The SRH Program officer will have the capacity to spark innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to programming and to inspire groups to collaborate closely to implement high-quality programs. S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position is based in Turkana and requires at least 60% travel within the program areas. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.